General Info

Thanks gents. Gabtar, I will check if there is a Paraguay consulate in Toronto, and go from there. If one can get a visa from the BA consulate, logically the same should work elsewhere. But we know logic never exists when dealing with some of these gov't officials.

I am planning to visit to Asuncion in Sept/Oct. I'll be in BA before that. I plan to stay for five week days.

I checked out the few hotel websites. But can't decide which one to stay. I am looking for around $70/$75 range per night. Of course it has to be girl friendly. Suggestions anybody?

I am also looking to go by bus from BA. Anybody has any experience? Please share.

Aurab64

Hello Aurab,

I've never been to Asuncion, but I plan to go. So I collect many informations about this city....
I was in BA and I travel a bit by bus in Argentina. Just go to the big bus station in BA and take a bus to Asuncion. Be ready for about 17 hours by bus....However you can still make a stop in between, in Rosario 5 hours from BA or Santa Fe.
By the way why do you want to spend as much as 70 Us for a hotel ? with 30-40 US you will have something good too....Don't forget that you going to stay in the cheapest capitale of the world. Furthermore you could rent a furnised apartment if you plan to stay at least 4 weeks. 500-700 US must be enough.
It seems that in Asuncion, it's better to forget escort...Better just to go to an apartment with girls and you will pay only 15-25 US. For escort you will pay much more. There are some others countries more interesting for escorts than Paraguay.
Read also the last report on Asuncion by a German guy, that's a very interesting one.
By the way do you speak Spanish ? If you don't, everything will be must complicated and you won't really enjoy your trip....So before going there, just learn Spanish...

Here you have 2 gf. hotels in Asuncion. That's what a member has reported in Asuncion forum.

"Cheap. I stayed at the Palmas del Sol hotel for about $25 per night, negotiated down from $37 because of my length of stay. Chica friendly, clean, with air conditioning and fridge in the rooms, the best breakfast feast in South America and a cheap restaurant at night if you want it. I took a number of different chicas there without fuss and nothing but a smile from everyone.

I have also stayed at La Espanola, cheap, cleanish, average breakfast, with air-conditioning for 80K GS per night. Chica friendly, but because I paid for a single room every time I brought a chica back they charged me an extra 40K, even if it was for an hour. That was a year ago."

Thanks Volpone for the info. I took few lessons in Spanish. I would say I have a little better than rudimentary Spanish. In fact, I am thinking to take 3/4 private Spanish lesson there. I would inquire about the hotels you mentioned.

Aurab

Regarding buses to Asuncion. I have done the trip a few times, using the bus company NSA. I always use the Executivo or highest level, and the trip, although 18 hrs, is overnight and painless. You will stop at Clorinda for the border crossing. There are money exchange people at the border. Their rates are competitive but buy a newspaper in BsAs with the rates and have it with you to show them, so don't be afraid to change 100-200 pesos or more there.

A taxi from the bus depot to the city will cost about 40-50000 GS. There are money exchangers and ATMs at the bus depot.

If you book the Hotel Palmas del Sol through Hostelbookers.comyou will get a better rate than their advertised 154000GS per night.

Thanks Gabtar. This is the kind of info I was looking for. Your info helped to make a decision. Yes I am going to go by bus. I like bus journey better than a quick plane ride, because sometimes you get a good opportunity to see the country side.

Haven't been to Asuncion in over a year and a half and I wanted to know if there have been any major changes? Agencies, nightclubs?

BTW, staying at the Sheraton. It it chica friendly?

I will be going there in about 2 days.

I don't know if its chica-friendly but it's a long way from the centro and the majority of the casas.

Just get the girls from Diario Popular.

Those are low prized, for 100 Mil the hour. Thats about 15 Euro.

Dont go for the high prized "VIP Services". They maybe charge you for anal extra and so on..

Best is still to learn Spanish and pick up LOCAL GIRLS STRAIGHT FROM THE STREETS.

Thats right, because Paraguayas love White Guys and could offer their pussys quite fast if you own a nice car and take them around, buy her some new shoes or whatever and IF you know how to treat a woman of course.

(HIDDEN SECRET: SOME EVEN CHEAT ON THEIR BOYFRIENDS / HUSBANDS IF YOU DEMONSTRATE BEING QUITE RICH AND IF UR ATTRACTIVE LOL)

Mercado 4 is a great place to pick up girls, because they are among the poorest in the city, the ones that sell clothings or something. Many of them have awesome bodys, really shaped curvy asses...LOL

If you need a wing to try your luck just write me a message. But speaking decent spanish is REALLY important here. I cant repeat it often enough.

Saludos,
Manuel

[QUOTE=Johan007]At Lexton:

I agree PY banks are ladrones. When I was there at EVERY bank they charge me 25. 000 G for a withdrawl! Thats about (at that time when I was there in sept/oct 2008) 4, 30 euros! Besides that many banks in Holland or germany charge you 2 euros for a withdrawl in any non-EU bank. So that adds up to 6, 30 euros for each withdrawl! (=8 usd! )

In Germany you have the DKB (Deutsche Kredit Bank) and they offer FREE cash withdrawls all over the world. Offcourse I had to pay the 25. 000 G. With their VISA Card. BUT when I wrote a complaint to them by email they refunded every time ihad to pay the 25. 000 G. ! I don't know if you cvan open an account at DKB. Maybe it's worth while ane mail to them?

[url]http://dkb.d/[/url] As I see it only availeble in German?

Normaly getting cash at an ATM with a VISA card is rather costly. So I don't know if there are banks in the US or Canada that offer FREE worldwide withdrawls? The pain is that the 25. 000 G is being charged by the PY banks. ! So keep that in mind.

Indeed I agree the PY banks are outrageous thieves and their rates are ridiculously high.

If you want to live in PY and want to open a bankaccount they even assk more things from you then the Visa office of Migraciones!

Johan[/QUOTE]I m travelling around South America with an HSBC DEBIT card, and so far, in Argentina and Paraguay, i have never been charged any fix or % commission, be it local or foreign, and always got a better rate than the "purchase" rate shown that day for Euros.

Hello, All

I am thinking about coming to Asunción for the month of January. I have heard that it is really hot and humid there at that time of year. I am pretty game for hot weather, but I would like to hear from some of you with experience as to whether it is just plain unbearably hot, or can visitors function there OK. Also, I would appreciate hearing from someone that I could PM with some other newbe questions, such as availability of cell phone service and an apartment to rent.

Thanks

To give you the original Spanish: "Paraguai tiene dos estaciones, verano y infierno. "

If you heard this spoken in Spanish, that last word would sound almost like "invierno" (winter). But "infierno" with an "F" means quite something else.

January is in the "infierno" season. Temperatures in the 40s, Celsius, during the day. The evenings cool down enough to be reasonably comfortable, as long as your hotel or apartment has air-conditioning.

I made a few trips to Asuncion during Christmas/New Years, and you definitely have to dress for the weather: loose and light. The "guayabera" type shirts are a really good idea. Bring a broad-brimmed hat, move slowly, sit in the shade and keep hydrated (I like Baviera beer, myself).

[QUOTE=Smbkrn]Hello, All

I am thinking about coming to Asunción for the month of January. I have heard that it is really hot and humid there at that time of year. I am pretty game for hot weather, but I would like to hear from some of you with experience as to whether it is just plain unbearably hot, or can visitors function there OK. Also, I would appreciate hearing from someone that I could PM with some other newbe questions, such as availability of cell phone service and an apartment to rent.

Thanks[/QUOTE]

I was in Asuncion during both January and February this year. The average temperature was 45 deg see with 80% humidity. This was interspaced by torrential rainfall periods.

I am 56, 187 cm tall, caucasian, about 15kg overweight and I found it debilitating. I would attend Spanish school in the morning then retreat to my hotel room until about 5pm when it cooled off enough to go outside. I hired a car for 3 weeks, both to get around, and because travelling in unairconditioned taxis or colectivos was sickening.

Infierno is a true assessment.

I am going back because I love the place, but between April and November. I was also there during March and you could feel the difference. The days were still in the high 30's but the humidity dropped off a bit and it was bearable, approaching nice.

Anybody to give some information about the weather during these two months in Asuncion?